THE PUBLIC SERVICE WE WANT

Theme: Future Proofing Public Service; Harnessing Experience and Innovation for Public Service Sustainability

The Public Service Intergenerational Conference is a national platform designed to bring together young officers, seasoned professionals, senior leaders, and retired public servants to collectively reimagine “The Public Service We Want.” It responds to Kenya’s shifting demographic landscape, where a rapidly aging workforce meets a highly youthful population that remains underrepresented in leadership and policy spaces.

With 40% of Kenya’s public servants above 50 years and only 31% aged 35 and below, the conference provides a timely space to address leadership succession gaps, strengthen mentorship, and enhance institutional memory while empowering young professionals to shape the future of governance. It also confronts emerging challenges such as mental health vulnerabilities among young officers, skills mismatches, generational disconnects in the workplace, and the urgent need for digital and AI-driven transformation in service delivery.

Grounded in national priorities; Vision 2030, the Constitution of Kenya (2010), BETA, and the Presidential Agenda on Youth Empowerment, the Dialogue also aligns with global and continental frameworks including the UN SDGs, UN Youth 2030, the African Youth Charter, and AU Agenda 2063. It mirrors global best practice models that promote inclusive leadership and intergenerational collaboration as cornerstones of a sustainable public sector.

This conference offers a space for:

1. Mutual learning and structured mentorship
2. Knowledge transfer between generations
3. Innovation-driven dialogue on AI, digital governance, and service modernization
4. Strengthening of ethical values and institutional identity
5. Elevating mental health and wellbeing as a strategic priority
6. Designing a long-term pathway for leadership development and succession planning

Through keynote sessions, expert panels, intergenerational roundtables, and co-creation forums, the conference will produce a Communiqué, a comprehensive report, and launch eight flagship programs, all aimed at nurturing a future-ready, ethical, and citizen-focused public service.

Ultimately, the Intergenerational Dialogue seeks to ignite a national movement, starting within government but cascading into communities where youth and experienced officers work side by side to build a public service that is innovative, inclusive, sustainable, and firmly anchored in shared values. It positions Kenya to become a continental model for how governments can bridge generations, accelerate reform, and build institutions that are ready for the future.